Kazakhstan, which held a long-awaited referendum on construction of its first NPP on 6 October, has voted in favour of the project according to preliminary results. Initial results released by the Central Election Commission (CEC) showed a turnout of 63.87%, with 71.12% of the 7.8m people who voted answering yes to the question: “Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?” Conversely, 26.15%, voted against the NPP.
CEC Deputy Chairman Konstantin Petrov said voting in all polling stations across Kazakhstan had been completed. There were 10,323 polling stations, including 74 in Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions abroad and voting was continuing in 60 of them, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko. Early estimates put voter turnout abroad at 59.79%, with 7,358 votes cast.
In Kazakhstan, the region with the highest voter turnout is the Kyzylorda Region, which recorded a participation rate of 82.48%. Other regions with high participation include the Turkistan Region at 75.31%, the Aktobe Region at 75.11%, and the Kostanai Region at 73.45%. By contrast, the lowest voter turnout was recorded in the former capital of Almaty, where 25.39% of eligible voters participated, a trend that the city has shown in almost all previous elections. In the current capital, Astana, the turnout was 50.81%, while in the major city of Shymkent turnout reached 70.57%. The East Kazakhstan and the Abai regions also showed high participation.
A total of 12,284,487 Kazakh citizens were eligible to participate in the vote, of which 7,820,204 citizens cast their ballots. Of the total votes, 130,267 ballots were deemed invalid. Additionally, 82,729 ballots were recognised as valid but were not included in the final tally because voters had marked two answers instead of one, which disqualified them.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in September 2023 that a referendum would be held. In his address, he noted: “The development of nuclear energy has become an important economic and political issue. As you know, there are different opinions about whether it is necessary to build a nuclear power plant.” He said: “Kazakhstan is the largest uranium mining country in the world. So, we have the right to build a nuclear plant on our land. Some experts argue that small nuclear stations should be built. However, many citizens and a number of experts are skeptical about the safety of a nuclear station.”
He added: “Considering how much suffering the Semipalatinsk test site caused to our people, one can understand their suspicions. Therefore, we must continue public hearings, detailed, large-scale discussions on this issue. We need to make a final decision on important strategic issues by referendum. This was my promise to the people before the elections in 2019. The question of whether or not to build a nuclear power plant is a very important question for the future of our country. Therefore, I believe that it should be resolved by a national referendum. We will determine the exact deadline later.” The Semipalatinsk Test Site (also known as Semipalatinsk-21 or The Polygon) was the primary location for resting the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons.
A year later, announcing the date of the referendum, he noted: “Today, the world’s energy shortage is growing. Our country needs reliable and environmentally friendly energy sources. Therefore, I think we should pay special attention to the development of nuclear energy.”
After casting his vote in the referendum, Tokayev answered questions from the media, including about a possible supplier of the nuclear plant. “This is not an easy problem. The government should analyse and conduct appropriate negotiations. In my opinion, an international consortium consisting of world companies with the most advanced technologies should work in Kazakhstan.”
Kazakhstan is the world’s leading producer of uranium. Although it does not currently use nuclear energy, it is not without nuclear experience. It has three operating research reactors, and a Russian-designed BN-350 sodium-cooled fast reactor operated near Aktau for 26 years, until 1999.
Kazakhstan has been preparing for a possible nuclear power programme to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, diversify its energy mix and reduce CO2 emissions for some time. Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund, was set up in 2014. As well as being designated as the owner/operator of a future plant, KNPP is tasked with pre-project work including a feasibility study to justify the need for nuclear power. This was carried out in 2018 and potential sites were investigated. While no site has been formally announced, a site at Ulken, on the shores of Lake Balkhash, has been identified as the most suitable location.
The proposed first nuclear power plant would be a large reactor but there are also options for using small modular reactors to replace retiring coal plants in the years to come. The government’s target is for nuclear to produce a 5% share of the national generation mix by 2035.
In August 2023, the Energy Ministry provided an update on previously conducted studies related to the choice of reactor technologies and siting. The Ministry confirmed Ulken village in the Zhambyl district of Almaty region as the most preferred locality. The Ministry also recommended choosing a technology “proven by the experience of construction and successful operation of a similar plant”. The shortlist included the following potential suppliers of nuclear technologies:
- China National Nuclear Corporation’s HPR-1000 (Hualong One) reactor;
- Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power’s APR1400 reactor;
- Rosatom’s VVER-1200 and VVER-1000 reactors; and
- EDF’s EPR-1200 reactor.
Coting in the referendum was closely monitored by international observers, who subsequently delivered their reports at press briefings in Astana.
Four international organisations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), and the Conference on Interaction & Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), sent observers.
According to Oleg Kopylov, SCO Deputy Secretary General and head of the SCO observer mission, the referendum was held in an “atmosphere of openness and transparency.” The observer mission members visited 31 voting sites in Astana and the Akmola Region.“We note that all the necessary conditions were created by the host country to monitor the preparation and the voting process, and exhaustive information was provided,” he said.
“The voting took place calmly, in compliance with the established order and, in the presence of local, public, and international observers and media representatives. During the observation period, no complaints or comments were received by the mission representatives,” he added. He also highlighted that the freedom of expression of the supporters and the opponents of the NPP construction was safeguarded during the campaign, noting that both supporters and opponents had launched websites and platforms, which “testifies to the practical measures taken by the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to ensure the freedom of expression of the will of citizens”.
The OTS observers delegation reported on well-prepared polling stations with clear information about procedures available to voters. “Election commissions granted full access to international and local observers, ensuring transparency throughout the process. The voting process was professionally managed, and no major irregularities were observed. The procedures for voting and counting were followed meticulously, ensuring transparency. No instances of unlawful interior interference by administrative or law enforcement authorities were observed,” said Sadi Jafarov, OTS Deputy Secretary General and head of the observer mission.
“At the close of voting, the mission observed the vote-counting process at one polling station. The count was conducted in accordance with the relevant national laws and regulations of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” he added.
The report by the CICA observer mission highlighted the transparency during the referendum and the active participation of youth. “Transparency of voting was well ensured. There was unimpeded observation and presentation of opinions of public organisations and international observers. The entire referendum process, including preparation, campaigning and voting day, was widely and promptly covered by the media,” said Zhang Ling, CICA Deputy Secretary General.
